A Politician Pals Around With a Media Mogul, and They Get Co-Branded

Political tea-leaf readers in the media have been atwitter about Senator Rand Paul's date for the Kentucky Derby this past Saturday -- and not just on Twitter. Monday's New York Times made front-page hay of the meeting of the potential presidential hopeful and News Corp. Executive Chairman (and political kingmaker) Rupert Murdoch in a piece titled "At Derby Day With Murdoch, Rand Paul Goes Through His Paces" that at times read like satire. ("Mr. Murdoch, no novice when it comes to matters of political imagery, allowed himself to be paraded for six hours around the boisterous and bourbon-drenched grounds like a prize horse behind a proud jockey.")

Last night on "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert added his own take on the chummy Derby date and even came up with a rather perfect, Brangelina-style joint name for what he called the "hot new celebrity power couple." So while the political establishment debates whether the junior senator from Kentucky will further get in bed with the much-feared and reviled media mogul -- and eventually get endorsements from his Wall Street Journal and New York Post -- I'm just wondering if Ol' Rupert and Sen. Paul will ever be able to shake their Colbert-coined nickname: Ru Paul.

Simon Dumenco is the "Media Guy" columnist for Advertising Age. You can follow him on Twitter @simondumenco.